BNSF Railroad Jonesboro Arkansas

[K4DHR]

. However I have noticed UP has put up new antenna's. They're all Aimed up towards the North down the tracks. they look like a directional antenna of some sort but I don't really know.. 900 MHZ maybe. they have one here by me and two downtown.. they're kind of like |> shaped or something, Like a triangle type thing. I'll try to get a pic of one if you guys need one. these just went up a few months ago..

Those are the antennas for Genesys. It has actually be installed along that line for a number of years, though it is entirely possible that they may have done some signal work in the area that necessitated moving the antenna(s) around. They are just Yagi antennas with radomes installed over them to make them more weather resistant. They are aimed towards the base station they are associated with. Obviously it is a little more difficult to monitor this system because it is difficult to pick up any of the broadcast signal from behind the antenna for more than maybe half a mile or so.

FYI, Genesys and ARES are different implementations of ATCS (Automated Train Control System). Most railroads use generic ATCS, but there have been manufacturers who created their own proprietary sub-protocols such as Genesys, HP-1, ARES, etc. These have different poll rates than standard ATCS, the control points won't broadcast their state unless polled by the master station, a control is sent to them, or something changes. On the other hand, ATCS CPs normally broadcast their state every minute or so, regardless of the aforementioned conditions.

 

[K4DHR]

They're not at yards. One was at a crossing.. I'll see if I can get a photo of one of them this weekend.

Was there also a CP there as well?

 

[burner50]

Was there also a CP there as well?

Thats what I'm trying to get at... But it may not be entirely apparent if there is a control point there or not. Not all control points have power crossovers. And not all signals are controlled by the dispatcher.


However, Detectors usually relay results to the control system.

 

[motorola_otaku]

I saw the exact setup OP is talking about a few weeks ago along the line that parallels I-55 between Bloomington and Springfield, IL - a pair of VHF folded dipoles (obviously VHF due to the element length) on short (I'd guess 10 ft.) masts at control boxes every 3-5 miles along the line. On the same line I also saw the typical hot box/defect detectors using short 1/4-wave "whips" mounted on the roof of the equipment shed, and typical road channel base stations on tall towers using Decibel VHF folded ground plane antennas. At the time I thought it was some weird simulcast system for road voice communications, but an ATCS system makes much more sense. All of this equipment was in plain view from the interstate and anyone living in the area should have no problem getting pictures of it, should they desire.

Also worth noting is that I didn't hear anything unusual across the railroad band in that area, so possibly the system hasn't been turned on for that line yet.

 

[burner50]

I saw the exact setup OP is talking about a few weeks ago along the line that parallels I-55 between Bloomington and Springfield, IL - a pair of VHF folded dipoles (obviously VHF due to the element length) on short (I'd guess 10 ft.) masts at control boxes every 3-5 miles along the line. On the same line I also saw the typical hot box/defect detectors using short 1/4-wave "whips" mounted on the roof of the equipment shed, and typical road channel base stations on tall towers using Decibel VHF folded ground plane antennas. At the time I thought it was some weird simulcast system for road voice communications, but an ATCS system makes much more sense. All of this equipment was in plain view from the interstate and anyone living in the area should have no problem getting pictures of it, should they desire.

Also worth noting is that I didn't hear anything unusual across the railroad band in that area, so possibly the system hasn't been turned on for that line yet.

There would be no reason for ATCS on an ABS signal every couple miles... They're not controlled. They do usually monitor some blocks, but not all of them...


What WOULD make sense is ATCS reporting from a detector every couple miles. Where I work, there is a detector at EVERY signal... Most aren't hot box detectors and have no telltale IR sensors. They are Dragging Equipment Detectors.

 

[K4DHR]

Update:

I believe the new antennas the OP is seeing are for PTC. I've noticed extra antenna installations on many of the signal bungalows on BNSF here in Memphis. I'll have to take some pictures and post them here of some of the new installations.